Pure strike 3rd Gen vs Ezone Tour Questions

[Khoiifish]

Hey long story short I'm using a blade 98 v7 16m. (5.0 player, 23 years old) Definitely looking for a bit more free power and spin against strong players since Im 5'7.

Currently comparing the Pure strike 3rd Gen 98 16m with the Ezone Tour. Played a session with the Strike and man did it feel easy and awesome. Had another session with the Ezone Tour, awesome too but it definitely wasn't as easy.

Does anyone have comments on the comfort of the Pure Strike stiffness wise, especially compared to ezones and the previous project one 7. Is anyone successfully using the Pure Strike 3rd gen with full polys while playing 2-3 days a week? I can't really know myself as I can only demo the Strike once a week at my local league so I can't gauge its effect on my elbow long term. Any help with the comparison between these two frames would be awesome too. Please no suggestions on hybrid setups, I've tried and I just can't run away from full poly as I've played with it my whole life.

 

[Deleted member 766578]

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[Holdfast44ID]

I'm curious for more comparisons as well. I used the previous version of the Pure Strike 98 16x19 a couple of years ago and I tweaked my elbow. I had to go down from 52 lbs. with poly to a softer poly at around 46 lbs. before getting rid of the frames. I'm wondering if the latest version of the Strike is easier on the arm? I'm going to be testing out the Ezone 98 Tour this weekend as an alternative to the Blade 98 v7 18x20 that I've been using. They have almost identical specs (other than string patterns) but the Yonex "looks" like it has a larger sweetspot (due to the racquet head shape), a little added power, perhaps better stability as well (although the Blade 18x20 is much more stable in stock form than the Blade 16x19).. I guess I'll also search around for comparisons of the current Strike vs the previous generation.

 

[socallefty]

The Gen3 Pure Strike is much more comfortable than the Gen2 - plays similar, but has a slightly more dampened feel. I don’t think it is an elbow-killer anymore. I play with both poly (HyperG) and poly/gut (VS/HyperG, VS/ALU Power) hybrids everyday on a Pure Strike Tour G3 strung in the high-forties and it is a great racquet for my all-court game. I could never use full poly on previous generations of the Pure Strike - had a Gen 1 Tour and a Gen2 VS Tour.

The Pure Strike Tour is better than the 16x19 as it has a similar SW, but is more stable and more head-light - better against heavy balls and much better at the net. So, I would suggest demoing the 18x20 and the Tour versions.

 

[dkshifty]

The 3rd Gen Pure Strike isn't as stiff as Babolat rackets generally go, but man that thing is overpowered. Even at high 50's tension.

Stiffness comparison, hands down Yonex is lower. I'm a full poly guy myself.

 

[socallefty]

The 3rd Gen Pure Strike isn't as stiff as Babolat rackets generally go, but man that thing is overpowered. Even at high 50's tension.

Stiffness comparison, hands down Yonex is lower. I'm a full poly guy myself.

Everything is relative…what racquet are you comparing it to when you say it is overpowered? The OP wants to compare it to a Blade v7 and it will give an appreciable power boost which is what he is looking for without feeling like it has clearly less control. If he compares it to a Pure Aero or Pure Drive, the Strike will seem underpowered. Also, the 18x20 PS will have less launch angle and perceived power than the 16x19 version in case he wants to try both.

 

[dkshifty]

Everything is relative…what racquet are you comparing it to when you say it is overpowered? The OP wants to compare it to a Blade v7 and it will give an appreciable power boost which is what he is looking for without feeling like it has clearly less control. If he compares it to a Pure Aero or Pure Drive, the Strike will seem underpowered. Also, the 18x20 PS will have less launch angle and perceived power than the 16x19 version in case he wants to try both.

That's probably the most powerful racket i've ever tested. Ive owned Wilson PS97, RF97, and Yonex Ezone DR 98, Ezone 98 (2020), Vcore Pro 97.

If directly comparing with a Blade v7, I've tried both the 16x19 and 18x20. I'm biased towards 16x19 but both those rackets did not provide as much uncontrollable power as the 3rd Gen Pure Strike.

 

[gutfeeling]

I did the TW playtest for the PS16x19 3rd gen. At the time my main stick was the v7 Blade 18x20. The PS was definitely more muted than the 2nd gen but still very powerful and firm. I didn’t really love the high launch angle either. Maybe I could have solved that with a stiffer stringbed or poly main/gut cross but I didn’t spend too much time with the stick. I would take a look at the 18x20 pattern. I think the layup is softer and the denser string pattern should both help decrease the power. Should have plenty of stability and plow with stock 330+ SW.

 

[socallefty]

@dkshifty Wow..…I wonder if you had dead strings or major tension loss when you demoed the Pure Strike. I’ve demoed the Prostaffs, Speed, Volkl VFeel, Blades, Prestige, VCore etc. and many 11.7-12.5 oz (strung) weight racquets released in the last 15 years and I don’t think the Pure Strike is so different in power than most of those racquets. Also, the TWU Power zone and Power potential charts for the Pure Strike don’t show a huge variance from most other players racquets with similar stiffness in the mid-sixties. For me, the RF97 was way more powerful for example.

I guess that’s why the OP should demo and make up his own opinion than depending on the experience of others as everyone’s experience varies so much depending on what they are used to previously and their swing styles. All opinions are valid and are subjective when it comes to equipment.

 

[dkshifty]

@dkshifty Wow..…I wonder if you had dead strings or major tension loss when you demoed the Pure Strike. I’ve demoed the Prostaffs, Speed, Volkl VFeel, Blades, Prestige, VCore etc. and many 11.7-12.5 oz (strung) weight racquets released in the last 15 years and I don’t think the Pure Strike is so different in power than most of those racquets. Also, the TWU Power zone and Power potential charts for the Pure Strike don’t show a huge variance from most other players racquets with similar stiffness in the mid-sixties. For me, the RF97 was way more powerful for example.

I guess that’s why the OP should demo and make up his own opinion than depending on the experience of others as everyone’s experience varies so much depending on what they are used to previously and their swing styles. All opinions are valid and are subjective when it comes to equipment.

Totally agree. Check string tension and string type when demoing.

When I demoed the 18x20 blade v7, it had a full bed of multi and it felt nothing like how a blade should feel. A tension measuring tool is helpful and necessary when demoing.

As you mentioned, no two player’s swing styles are the same. Hope OP finds the right fit.

 

[socallefty]

Most of the time I demo racquets just to be able to talk about them and make recommendations to my buddies. Whenever I’m serious about changing to a new racquet model which happens only about once in five years, I make sure that I demo the new racquet I like with at least two different string jobs before I select it. I’ll usually get a demo from TW and one from my local pro shop and try to get a feel for how much the racquet behaves differently with different strings.

 

[dkshifty]

Oh yeah, definitely. Its amazing how different full poly feels versus a full bed of multi or a hybrid. Then you increase or decrease tension and now you could be all over the place. Its part of the tennis evolution. The important thing is to keep your strokes the same and don't adjust. Then you can truly fine tune it to your needs.

 

[socallefty]

Oh yeah, definitely. Its amazing how different full poly feels versus a full bed of multi or a hybrid. Then you increase or decrease tension and now you could be all over the place. Its part of the tennis evolution. The important thing is to keep your strokes the same and don't adjust. Then you can truly fine tune it to your needs.

I agree that it is almost worthless to demo with multi strings if you play only with gut or poly especially if you don’t know what the tension is. Usually you have to change your strokes at least slightly when you change to a new racquet model. But, hopefully it is a small change that can be done within a week or two and it is compensated by other positive benefits from the new racquet.

For instance, my previous racquet was a Gen 1 Pure Strike Tour which is a 18x20. I liked it a lot except that it was too stiff for me to ever play with full poly or even most poly hybrids. I always felt that I had to compromise on swinging out freely and as a result I played with fullbed gut for five years. The Gen3 PST is much more comfortable and now I can play with either poly or hybrids. I am playing much better now with the lower launch-angle string jobs as I’m swinging out freely and have more pace/spin as a result.

The Gen3 PST is a 16x19 and it took me about 10 hours of on-court time to get used to the more open pattern - slice and serves took the most time to adjust compared to drive ground strokes/volleys. Flat serves suffered for longer till I finally changed my serve contact point to adjust. I mainly changed to the Gen3 because I can’t get the Gen1 anymore, but after a year, I feel that it is a much better racquet for me especially with gut/poly hybrids.

 

[Khoiifish]

That's probably the most powerful racket i've ever tested. Ive owned Wilson PS97, RF97, and Yonex Ezone DR 98, Ezone 98 (2020), Vcore Pro 97.

If directly comparing with a Blade v7, I've tried both the 16x19 and 18x20. I'm biased towards 16x19 but both those rackets did not provide as much uncontrollable power as the 3rd Gen Pure Strike.

No no keep those opinions coming gals and fellas! Love to hear every opinion. I can definitely see why you feel that way. I used to feel like I needed to reign in my 'power' with a blade and like I'm still playing well with it, just as I said want something a little easier. I lose a bit of racket head speed in long rallies and sets and my forehand needs that racket head speed for control. I COULD get fitter but when has it been bad to admit you need a little bit of help... haha especially since I play with an ex-ITF player here in Australia who uses a ... yeah a stock pure drive with a bit of lead.

Might be a bit biased too because the pro at my local league (babolat affiliated) keeps his demos fresh with RPM blast so yeah, fresh RPM does feel amazing. Everyone here is right, you start nitpicking the racket after ALOT of time with it which is a privilege I won't be getting. As I said I have also demo'd the Ezone Tour with PTP, and that the strike did feel a little bit easier which is why I asked if anyone is successfully playing with the strike 3rd gen consistently. Love the comparisons and opinions though guys, thanks alot.

 

[socallefty]

OP, if your only worry about the PS is whether it is more comfortable than previous versions, it definitely is. I’ve played every day since May 4th using either poly or a poly/gut hybrid. I’m 52 and previously always played with gut with other racquets due to having a sensitive elbow. In fact, I would get elbow twinges even after demoing other racquets for one day with poly in the past. But, I would definitely demo a PS Tour before buying a 16x19 as I think the PS Tour is much better and I have converted many others at my club after they tried my racquet

 

[warney]

But, I would definitely demo a PS Tour before buying a 16x19 as I think the PS Tour is much better and I have converted many others at my club after they tried my racquet

Any difference in comfort level that you or your friends found between 16x19 V3 vs PS tour V3?

 

[socallefty]

Any difference in comfort level that you or your friends found between 16x19 V3 vs PS tour V3?

Not that I know of. I assume that the mold/layup is very similar and there is just slight variance in weight redistribution.

 

[ichaseballs]

these are my top 2 picks, the PS and ezone tour.
looking for some more comparisons.

 

[socallefty]

these are my top 2 picks, the PS and ezone tour.
looking for some more comparisons.

I demo‘d the VCore Pro97HD and the Blades a few months ago. I liked the VCore and would demo it if you are considering the Pure Strike. It seemed to have a plush feel and I liked it from the baseline and loved it at the net - I had fast RHS with it. I didn’t serve or return with it.

 

[XFactorer]

@Khoiifish Have you tried the regular EZONE 98? The Tour is a bit heftier - so if you like it but find it is harder to use, the EZONE 98 might be a good option and you can lead it up later. I found the 2nd Gen PS to be more comfortable than the current gen PS. If I were to be pushed to Wilson, I'd definitely be a Blade v7 player, but that grip is just too darn short for a 2HBH player (or just me). I really enjoyed that racquet except its short grip.

 

[Power Player]

these are my top 2 picks, the PS and ezone tour.
looking for some more comparisons.

I used the Blade v7 18x20 for a year, the 2015 Blade and recently the Ultra Tour.

The PS 16x19 has more power than all those frames. I'd say it's fairly significant over the UT and V7 and a good amount more than the 2015 Blade. The feel is muted like the v7 Blade, but the stiffness of the Strike really compliments that muted sensation well. I think a crisper poly in it is the best way go to, but after an hour or 2 of hitting hard with Hyper G at 52#s, the string bed opened up a lot and felt great. I am going to try these strings in it, since I have them:

Hyper G- plays great, not many complaints here except it looks awful and is a bit muted. I can easily play with this string though if needed.
Solinco Confidential, Tourna Silver 7 tour, Vokl Cyclone and RPM Blast will all get a shot in this racquet.

My early impressions are very high with this racquet. It's the best balance of power and control that I have experienced. If you like modern power and spin but don't want to use a thick beamed tweener like a Pure Aero this is a must demo.

 

[rider4ever]

I used the Blade v7 18x20 for a year, the 2015 Blade and recently the Ultra Tour.

The PS 16x19 has more power than all those frames. I'd say it's fairly significant over the UT and V7 and a good amount more than the 2015 Blade. The feel is muted like the v7 Blade, but the stiffness of the Strike really compliments that muted sensation well. I think a crisper poly in it is the best way go to, but after an hour or 2 of hitting hard with Hyper G at 52#s, the string bed opened up a lot and felt great. I am going to try these strings in it, since I have them:

Hyper G- plays great, not many complaints here except it looks awful and is a bit muted. I can easily play with this string though if needed.
Solinco Confidential, Tourna Silver 7 tour, Vokl Cyclone and RPM Blast will all get a shot in this racquet.

My early impressions are very high with this racquet. It's the best balance of power and control that I have experienced. If you like modern power and spin but don't want to use a thick beamed tweener like a Pure Aero this is a must demo.

Have you played more with this racquet? Any updates on your opinion/ feedback?

I have been playing with Angell TC 97 18x20 for about 6 months occasionally switching to a TC97 16x19 on and off and feel these racquets are very demanding. On my day, I am just ON and love playing with these frames but the frustration starts kicking in when I try to reproduce that level the next day or again later. I figured that I have to be really focused on my footwork and contact points to play well with the Angells.

So I casually tried a gen 3 pure strike 16x19 which came strung with hyperg and was pleasantly surprised with the level of controllable power. I was playing well with the PS from day 1 and felt so easy to play my shots. They had more or the same level of pace and spin as the TC 97s and control was phenomenal for a powerful frame like this. This is the first Babolat I have tried and was totally surprised since in my mind Babolats were spin machines with crazy uncontrollable power. I was happy to be wrong after trying the PS. The only thing lacking compared to the TC97 is the feel. The PS just feels too muted. I removed the dampener and played better since I got more feel this way. It felt a bit strange since I have always played with the dampener but I got used to it and I think I will play without one if I consider playing with the PS.

I never imagined playing with a Babolat as my main stick but I am seriously considering switching to the PS from the Angells. I actually have about 3 more PS 16x19, one Tour and one 18x20 on the way to try the entire PS line.

you guys have any feedback/advice for me?

I can share recent videos of me hitting with TC 97 18x20, 16x19 and PS 16x19 if that would help anyone advice on what racquet to commit to.

 

[n80aoag]

Don't go with the full poly in the Strike. I played 4-5 days a week with it and needed a break to heal the elbow. 4.5 player here on a good day.

 

[socallefty]

The vibration frequency (VF) on the TWU racquet spec database is 139 for the Pure Strike Tour G3 while it is 7 to 8 points higher for the lighter standard versions. So, it is possible that the Pure Strike Tour is more comfortable than the other PS models.

if comfort is a big issue for you, I would suggest checking the VF of the different racquets you are considering as for me, it has a closer correlation to elbow comfort than the RA stiffness value. I think the v7 Blades are in the low 130s and might be a touch more comfortable than the PST and way more comfortable than the standard PS models.

 

[Khoiifish]

Since this thread got a bit going again, I've still stuck with my blade V7 16 x 19, played with the Ezone Tour for a bit but as @XFactorer suspected, it was a bit heftier in my opinion (I'm a small guy) and I lost a bit of my much-needed racket head speed. Felt great but it didn't solve my need of wanting something a bit easier. With this in mind, I probably cannot take up @socallefty's suggestion of the PST as well.

I may take up the suggestion of trying an Ezone 98 but the 317 SW deters me a bit as I would definitely add a bit of lead (and I'm not super keen on going down a rabbit hole right now). I've played with the PS 16x19 Gen 3 here and there as well from my local shop and every time I feel like it's exactly what I'm looking for. Still hesitant with stiffness concerns so I think I might undergo an extensive demo of it this Summer.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

Since this thread got a bit going again, I've still stuck with my blade V7 16 x 19, played with the Ezone Tour for a bit but as @XFactorer suspected, it was a bit heftier in my opinion (I'm a small guy) and I lost a bit of my much-needed racket head speed. Felt great but it didn't solve my need of wanting something a bit easier. With this in mind, I probably cannot take up @socallefty's suggestion of the PST as well.

I may take up the suggestion of trying an Ezone 98 but the 317 SW deters me a bit as I would definitely add a bit of lead (and I'm not super keen on going down a rabbit hole right now). I've played with the PS 16x19 Gen 3 here and there as well from my local shop and every time I feel like it's exactly what I'm looking for. Still hesitant with stiffness concerns so I think I might undergo an extensive demo of it this Summer.

You should demo the Yonex Vcore 98, probably not the 95 since you want something "easier", I'm not a 5.0 more of a borderline 4.5, but I know a few 5.0 players that use the Vcore 98 as a pretty big weapon. I also know a 20 year old 4.5 ish player (UTR 9) who uses the 95 well, 1 handed backhand though.

 

[socallefty]

Since this thread got a bit going again, I've still stuck with my blade V7 16 x 19, played with the Ezone Tour for a bit but as @XFactorer suspected, it was a bit heftier in my opinion (I'm a small guy) and I lost a bit of my much-needed racket head speed. Felt great but it didn't solve my need of wanting something a bit easier. With this in mind, I probably cannot take up @socallefty's suggestion of the PST as well.

I may take up the suggestion of trying an Ezone 98 but the 317 SW deters me a bit as I would definitely add a bit of lead (and I'm not super keen on going down a rabbit hole right now). I've played with the PS 16x19 Gen 3 here and there as well from my local shop and every time I feel like it's exactly what I'm looking for. Still hesitant with stiffness concerns so I think I might undergo an extensive demo of it this Summer.

If you like the PS 16x19, it’s strung SW as recorded by TW is 327. For the PS Tour, they measured 333. If you buy one of them, they will be very close to each other depending on the spec you get. So, if you like the PS 16x19 and your only concern is comfort, complete your due diligence and try the PS Tour also as you might be pleasantly surprised by the extra comfort and similar maneuverability.

My wife has a PS 16x19 while I have 3 Tours and to me, my racquets feel more maneuverable, more stable and more comfortable. Whether the Tour feels easier to swing because it is more headlight or because my wife’s PS is above the 327 spec, I don’t know. But, they don’t feel very different in terms of ease to swing.

 

[Infineon]

I've played with latest PS 16x19 for about 7 months until I developed golfers elbow. Tried to make this racket work with softer strings etc. Best poly for me was alu power soft thin gauge.

When compared to the blade v7 16x19 which I'm currently using PS had more power but for me it was harder to use. I had to use a lot of top spin to keep the ball in the court. So for me PS was harder to use. O the blade I can fully and naturally swing.

 

[mohammed_saad401]

Go low on the tension on the new PS 16x19.

I have a sensitive wrist and elbow, and the last PS P07 gave me issues until i went down on the tension. After different setups i landed on using a full poly, Singum Pro Poly Plasma 1.33mm at 48lbs. Was working decently for me.
Then i switched to RPM Blast (15L) 1.35 at 48 and it gave serious elbow pain. Stopped using the racket all together.

Switched to the new PS, and now i'm using RPM blast (15L) 1.35 (very very thick and stiff) at 42lbs and i have no words on the beautiful comfort that the racket is now offering. Not loosing any control as the RPM blast is stiff as hell.

 

[socallefty]

I played 354 times and 603 hours in 2020 with the G3 Pure Strike Tour mostly against 4.5 players and an occasional 5.0 - zero elbow issues for my 52-year old arms even though I have a sensitive elbow. It is a great 12 oz, thin-beam (21mm) players racquet with SW of 335 suitable to play with poly or poly hybrids in the low-mid forties (lbs) tension.

For most of the year, I played with VS17/HyperG 18 at 48/45 lbs or tried VS mains with other poly crosses like ALU Power, Tour Bite Soft, Cyclone, Cyclone Tour etc. When HyperG Soft came out. I became an immediate convert. For the last three months, I have been playing with VS17/HGS18 at 47/44 lbs outdoors on hard courts with temperatures in the forties and fifties. I play daily with a mix of 70% singles and 30% doubles and cannot recommend this racquet more for 4.5+ players with good technique.

 

[mohammed_saad401]

I played 354 times and 603 hours in 2020 with the G3 Pure Strike Tour mostly against 4.5 players and an occasional 5.0 - zero elbow issues for my 52-year old arms even though I have a sensitive elbow. It is a great 12 oz, thin-beam (21mm) players racquet with SW of 335 suitable to play with poly or poly hybrids in the low-mid forties (lbs) tension.

For most of the year, I played with VS17/HyperG 18 at 48/45 lbs or tried VS mains with other poly crosses like ALU Power, Tour Bite Soft, Cyclone, Cyclone Tour etc. When HyperG Soft came out. I became an immediate convert. For the last three months, I have been playing with VS17/HGS18 at 47/44 lbs outdoors on hard courts with temperatures in the forties and fifties. I play daily with a mix of 70% singles and 30% doubles and cannot recommend this racquet more for 4.5+ players with good technique.

Agreed man. A hundred and twenty percent.
Stock up on the new PS rackets and grommets, as much as you can.

 

[topspn]

P17 did hurt after a while but not this 3rd gen. You should try the Tour version

 

[Khoiifish]

I'm still in no big rush to switch and I'm recovering from an ankle sprain but yeah I agree, not much elbow pain at all compared to the P17. I'm about to give the Tour a go and a Yonex Vcore 98 2020 as well. The 3rd Gen Pure Strike is definitely a beast though.

 

[mdmerg]

To get more pop, spin, and still have comfort on a 98 racquet, I just demoed the PS 3rd gen 16 x 19, and 18 x 20. I noticed that the racquet went through the ball so much easier than my head flexpoint radical MP's s that I customized to 9 pts head light and 332 grams. I switched back to it from the I played with the PD Roddick GT for sometime with a soft poly, but I no longer like the "fry pan" feel of a 100 frame.) Loved the spin, but I was no longer satisfied with it around the net. (I used to play all the prestige lines with an all court game 4.0 and some 4.5.)

At first I found the 18 x 20 more desirable being it seemed more stable than the 16 x 19, but the longer I demoed the racquets with all the different types of shots, I liked the 16 x 19 more because of the added spin. It appeared to have power than the the 18 x 20, but it was hard to tell, e.g. different strings. Part of the initial issue with that 16 x 19 racquet was the inexpensive strings in that racquet model as opposed to the 18 x 20 racquet. I was getting the spin and power of the PD with a 98 frame.

My dilemma, should I take the 16 x 19 (323 gm), and customize it to 8 pts head light that is possible to keeping the weight 340 gms or so or buy the PS 3rd gen Tour at 6 pts. HL that also has a lower RA factor. On the tour, I can perhaps add a little more to handle to bring up to 8 pts HL. I have had tennis elbow in the past with really stiff racquets. I am very comfortable with a 332 9 pt HL racquet - easy to maneuver, but getting too much over 340 causing me some concern. If the Tour is the best selection, which will be better: 6 pts HL at 340 gm or 8 pts HL adding another 6 gms bringing the total weight to 346?

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[socallefty]

Buy the PS Tour. I love it after demoing all three models. It is more stable and more comfortable - vibration frequency of 139 is 7-8 points less than the standard weight models. I have three of the Tours and have been playing with them in stock form since they came out in Fall, 2019.

It is a lot easier to fine tune a racquet’s performance with strings and tension than to customize them with added weight for me - I like my stock racquets about 12 ozs with SW between 330-340. I play the PS Tour with VS17/HyperG Soft 18 at 47/44 lbs - get about 18-20 hours. It plays well with fullbed soft polys at low-mid forties tension also - I‘ve tried it with Cyclone, Cyclone Tour, HyperG and ALU Power also.

 

[ChanterRacquet]

Frankly, I believe you must demo the Blade 104 v7. I’ve played a PS 18x20 3rd gen for over a year now with enough elbow soreness when strung with full poly to switch to multis. I hated the PS 16x19 when demoed. About to switch to the 104 v7, it’s that good. I’ve demoed tons of other racquets trying to find something better and nothing comes close to the all around playability of the 104 v7. The Prince TT100P was close, but the plush of the 104 v7 with no sacrifices wins out. It’s easy to swing, good power, way bigger pocket than the 98 v7 16x19, and tons of spin potential. This ain’t your granny’s racquet.

...and I just realized this thread is 7 months old, haha.

 

[SkateboardBackhand]

The Blade 104 v7? Interesting. I demoed the Blade 98 V7 and enjoyed it, just that it was a bit heavy and low-powered. If the blade 104 has 10% more power and the same control as the 98, it would be the perfect racket! At tennis warehouse, 2 reviewers compared it to a pure drive, which catapults it out of the control category.

 

[mdmerg]

Thank you for your input.

I hit more with 18 x 20 and 16 x 19. I definitely will go with a 16 x 19. I also hit with the Pure Strike 1st version of 16 x 19 with soft poly strings at 44, and it felt like I was cutting into butter with a hot knife. (Your string recommendation.) The demo strings on my 3rd gen 16 x 19 were so cheap it really detracted from the racquet performance.

The only drawback that I felt on the racquet is the lower response with hits closer to the top of the hoop. (Perhaps a little lead tape at the tip.) My old head flexpoint radical MP hit with a little better pace in this hoop area - it typically occurs while serving being on occasion I strike the ball a little high, too soon, but the FXP could not come close to managing the fast baseline low shots as the Pure Strike. Also what was really easy was the high one hand back hand shots. Perhaps the much higher twist weight, added stability, made these shots surprisingly easy.

I am definitely going to demo the Tour and 16 x 19 side by side.

Not sure about the Wilson 104 v7 other than comfort, but that may change in the future. Thank you for recommending it.

 

[ChanterRacquet]

At tennis warehouse, 2 reviewers compared it to a pure drive, which catapults it out of the control category.

Review - Tennis Warehouse

www.tennis-warehouse.com

Yeah..... I don’t know what they’re smokin’. I started on a PD 2015 and also have a 2017. I hate them now. I’ve been really locked into 18x20 here recently, hence my main PS 18x20 3gen, and I’ve demoed them all alongside the 16x19 of the ones I really liked: Speed MP, PS, Prince Tour, and Blade. I’ve demoed a PD 107 when a friend tried it. No, not the same. Opposite end of stiffness spectrum. They’re both OS-ish, that’s where similarities end. Just based on specs, using the TW similar racquets tool, the first 8 racquets that come up are Prince Phantoms. Owning the one at the top of the list 100P, I agree. I’ve currently been on the hunt for something that lets me play better defense than these 325+ swingweight 18x20 racquets. 104 v7 is it. Swingweight 321 at most so just enough to be manueverable but not so low to be pushed around.

I’ve recently started buying used older 104 to see how they play with the old 18x19 pattern. v6 was good, though maybe a little stiff? v5 was really good, but lacks a little umph at 310ish swingweight because it’s a standard 27”. Retrospectively, I love imagining Wilson’s thought process that seems to have lead to the 104 v7 (non-SW104).

104 v5: plush, but low swingweight, you gotta hit it
104 v6: stiffer for power to beef up v5 (did not have countervail unlike other v6)
104 v7: nevermind, blade line is back to plush cause everybody hated countervail, switch to 16x19 for power (and spin!), extra 0.5” bring swingweight up from previous two

I really don’t know how they could make it better playing for those with proper strokes. It feels solid, it’s plush, it exudes “feel” like the 98 models, it’s like you’re talking to it, but in a maneuverable package over the 16x19 and definitely 18x20.

Check out the thread here on the forum. They sum it up great.

Wilson Blade 104 v7 deaaammmmmmmm

so i just demoed this yesterday. along with some other sticks. the blade 98 , pro staff and wow was i surprised that this one shone the most our of the bunch. i didnt get to play with my reg hitting partner. but i did hit with it with a high school kid on court. and wow was it a fun...

tt.tennis-warehouse.com

 

[SVP]

Buy the PS Tour. I love it after demoing all three models. It is more stable and more comfortable - vibration frequency of 139 is 7-8 points less than the standard weight models. I have three of the Tours and have been playing with them in stock form since they came out in Fall, 2019.

It is a lot easier to fine tune a racquet’s performance with strings and tension than to customize them with added weight for me - I like my stock racquets about 12 ozs with SW between 330-340. I play the PS Tour with VS17/HyperG Soft 18 at 47/44 lbs - get about 18-20 hours. It plays well with fullbed soft polys at low-mid forties tension also - I‘ve tried it with Cyclone, Cyclone Tour, HyperG and ALU Power also.

Is the PS Tour a worthy substitute for the Wilson K Factor 6.1 95? New K Factors are in short supply and going for as much as new brands.

 

[yessir]

Just in case anyone see this , try finding and underspec PS 16x19 3rd gen via matching service. Got one at 321 swingweight strung and it feels like cheating

 

[TomTennis495]

Hey long story short I'm using a blade 98 v7 16m. (5.0 player, 23 years old) Definitely looking for a bit more free power and spin against strong players since Im 5'7.

Currently comparing the Pure strike 3rd Gen 98 16m with the Ezone Tour. Played a session with the Strike and man did it feel easy and awesome. Had another session with the Ezone Tour, awesome too but it definitely wasn't as easy.

Does anyone have comments on the comfort of the Pure Strike stiffness wise, especially compared to ezones and the previous project one 7. Is anyone successfully using the Pure Strike 3rd gen with full polys while playing 2-3 days a week? I can't really know myself as I can only demo the Strike once a week at my local league so I can't gauge its effect on my elbow long term. Any help with the comparison between these two frames would be awesome too. Please no suggestions on hybrid setups, I've tried and I just can't run away from full poly as I've played with it my whole life.

I actually went from the Second gen PS to the techni 305 to the ezone tour. They all have similarities but if someone was to make the jump from PS to ezone 98 or ezone tour 98 I think they’d be really happy .